[Antrax]

(Matchpoints, vul. all)

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Partner leads the ♠T and you see

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Declarer plays low. Standard carding (or obvious shift), how do you continue? Please explain why (I was the only defender to get this one wrong )

[FrancesHinden]

If partner has led his singleton, you need to win the ace of spades, play back the jack of spades (suit preference) for him to ruff, win the diamond return and give him a second ruff.
If partner has led from 10x of spades, you need to duck the opening lead unless partner has Ax of hearts (giving declarer Qxx Jxxxx KQx AQ or so). This layout is very unlikely because it gives declarer a 3NT bid and/or very specific minor suit holdings.

If partner has led from 10x of spades, you can duck the opening lead, but now you need partner to be able to get in somewhere to play a second spade. So ducking is playing for declarer to have something like

Qxx
Axxxx
KQx
Qx

OK, this is possible, so you can't get this defence right for certain (although it gives partner AJ10xxx clubs which he might have bid, and he might have led in preference to his 10x of spades).

However, I would play for spade ruffs because if partner has led his singleton, it's the obvious and easy way to beat the hand. A doubleton lead with a low doubleton trump is less attractive to start with, and also we need something good elsewhere in partner's hand.

[Antrax]

Thanks Frances. My thinking was along similar lines, but apparently we're alone in this.

Spoiler

The winning defense is rise with ♠A and return your singleton. Partner conveniently has ♣A and gives us a club ruff, and the ♦A seals the deal. If you duck the spade, declarer draws trumps in three rounds and just gives you your three aces

[1eyedjack]

I don't understand. If Frances' line fails, that means that the ST was not singleton. So when he gets in with the CA he can lead another S through the K.

I note that you say that it is MP scoring. Is the whole thread about the number of undertricks? Did he lead T from Txx? Was that mirrored around the room?Sounds like one not to beat yourself up over.

[FrancesHinden]

1eyedjack, on 2011-September-11, 07:32, said:

I don't understand. If Frances' line fails, that means that the ST was not singleton. So when he gets in with the CA he can lead another S through the K.

The winning defence must also have been to duck the opening lead which as you say should also lead to 4 tricks. What fails is playing partner for a singleton spade and playing ace of spades and another spade.

[Antrax]

I don't follow. If we duck ♠A, declarer wins (won) his ♠Q, then draws trumps, when partner gets in with the ace of clubs, he plays a spade through, I score my J or my A, in any case the next round is ruffed by declarer so we only get three aces.
Is the problem that p chose to lead the ♠T from three small? I would've inserted the J if he'd have played the 6 or the 8, so declarer still gets to make.

[BunnyGo]

why did you say "apparently, we're alone"?

[Antrax]

The scoresheet has all other pairs for +100. Either most South players led A from AQ-sixth in clubs and knew to continue when partner dropped the J, or most North players rose with the spade ace and returned their singleton.

[wyman]

Antrax, on 2011-September-11, 08:26, said:

Is the problem that p chose to lead the ♠T from three small?

Yes

[Antrax]

So on a middle/low spade lead, you don't duck the ace? How can you tell it's the right play?

[VM1973]

It seems to me that the dummy is rather flat and uninteresting. Whatever losers declarer has will not find parking spaces with a dummy like this. I will simply play the ♠7 and await developments.

With a dummy more like:

K43
K102
82
KQ943

I will get busy trying to cash what I can before it all goes away on the clubs.